The number of children and young people waiting more than nine weeks for a mental health assessment has increased across Northern Ireland, according to new figures from the Department of Health.

At the end of June 2026, there were 4,031 people waiting for a first CAMHS appointment. Of those, 1,830 (45.4%) had been waiting more than nine weeks. This compares to 3,519 waiting at the end of March 2026, with 1,546 (43.9%) waiting over nine weeks.

Despite the longer waiting lists, the number of appointments offered by CAMHS teams increased over the same period. The statistics show that 3,842 appointments were offered between April and June 2026, up from 3,210 in the previous quarter.

The figures vary across the five health trusts. The Belfast Trust had the highest number waiting over nine weeks at 532, followed by the South Eastern Trust with 398, the Northern Trust with 379, the Western Trust with 294, and the Southern Trust with 217.

The Department of Health releases these waiting time statistics quarterly, covering the total number waiting and those waiting over nine weeks for a CAMHS assessment.